Design and Living Magazine

The White House Co.: Brings Vintage Furniture, Antique Décor Downtown

The White House Girls have been bringing vintage flair to the FM area with their furniture rental business for the past two years. See inside their recently opened store nestled in the heart of Downtown Fargo.

PHOTOS BY J. ALAN PAUL PHOTOGRAPHY AND NORTHERN STORIES
Feature photo of Katie Schiltz, Samantha Klinkhammer and Amanda Rydell are all three co-owners of The White House Co.

The White House Girls have been bringing vintage flair to the FM area for the past two years. You might know them as a furniture rental business for special events, but they have recently opened a store. Nestled between Twenty Below Coffee and Love Always Floral, The White House Co. has found a home in the heart of Downtown Fargo.

The Space

The girls have been talking about opening a store in Fargo for a couple of years, but they were waiting for the perfect space to open up.

Like a true thrifter, Schiltz said, “When we found this spot and Christy Tehven of Love Always Floral, we weren’t going to let her out of our sight.

Sisters Schiltz and Klinkhammer have been dealing vintage décor in some shape or form since 2011. Back then, the sisters held flea markets at their parent’s farm, which is where the White House moniker comes from.

Rydell joined the party in 2015. She first became acquainted with the sisters via social media because of their mutual appreciation for each other’s aesthetic.

The Antiques

The White House Co. is home to an assortment of vintage furniture and antique décor. When talking about the store, Rydell, Klinkhammer and Schiltz described it as a cross between West Elm and Anthropologie, but with locally sourced products.

On The White House Co. side of the wall, Schiltz’s husband installed brick that looks as if it was original to the building. Then, the trio refinished the original hardwood floors themselves.

Though the White House Co. is chalk-full of rare finds, the store has a price point for everyone. For example, one of their high-end items is a large metal filing cabinet, while smaller items like vintage prints would be accessible for a wide variety of customers.

The White House Co. shares a partial wall with their neighbor, Love Always Floral. Because both The White House Co. and Love Always Floral often work with brides and grooms, this arrangement made for the perfect marriage.

Every week Schiltz, Klinkhammer, and Rydell restock inventory and restyle the store. Having spent years collecting furniture and décor for the store, the three have warehouses full of things to chose from.

The Business

The store hours are Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or by appointment. This allows for Schiltz, Klinkhammer and Rydell to continue their furniture rental business and to thrift for new inventory on the side.

As they prepared to open the store, The White House Girls looked toward other local business owners as mentors.

“There are so many inspiring small businesses in Fargo, such as Ashley from Unglued, Roxanne and Connie from Modern Textiles, Ashley from Aendee or Maria from Eco Chic—she was a huge one. We were like, if they can do this, we can do it,” Schiltz said.